Advancing Sustainability & Recycling Initiatives in Illinois

Wipeco Inc. (Chicago Textile Recycling) is a family-owned and operated textile business that started in Chicago in 1960. Chicago Textile Recycling (CTR) provides textile recycling outlets and fundraising opportunities for area organizations, businesses and municipalities. By collecting used clothing, shoes, and household items for reuse and recycling, CTR diverts over 2.5 million pounds of waste from area landfills annually. As the dedicated recycling division, CTR works symbiotically with our parent company, Wipeco, Inc. to provide a closed-loop recycling solution for the local Chicagoland area. Founded in 1960 and family owned and operated, Wipeco, Inc. is Chicagoland's Premier Wiping Rag Supplier, selling recycled wiping cloths nation-wide and extending the life of discarded textiles through repurposing.

In addition to Illinois, the owner of Wipeco, Inc. also has CTC Supplies Inc. (Milwaukee Textile Recycling, MTR), in Milwaukee, WI, which was acquired in 1980.

Both Wipeco, Inc. and CTC Supplies, Inc. strive to develop their culture around family values with their customers and employees. Wipeco, Inc. and CTC Supplies Inc. produce rags from some of the material collected, including laundry material. To supply enough product to their customer base, they import some of their cut rags from the graders they have sold the donated textiles to.

Learn more: Wipeco.com | ChicagoTextileRecycling.com

President's Message

Clair Ryan

President, Illinois Recycling Foundation

Dear IRF Members and Friends,

First, let me wish you a happy America Recycles Day on November 15! It has been a very exciting fall for this recycler and for IRF. Our first Illinois Circularity Conference (ICC), reviving a partnership with ILCSWMA and the IL Chapter of SWANA, was a big success with over 160 people in attendance. I want to thank all of you who sponsored, spoke, moderated, attended and silently discoed; it was such a pleasure to see you there! We are already thinking about how we can improve on our first event at a future ICC. Stay tuned!

It has also been a major thrill this season to be part of the team that unveiled Loop, the little recycling cart with a big appetite, for the Feed the Cart campaign (see our Feature Story below). Thanks to a Recycling Education and Outreach grant from the U.S. EPA, Feed the Cart is the largest mass-media campaign encouraging curbside recycling that the state has ever seen. I can't make this up: when I was driving on I-55 to get to the press conference launching Feed the Cart, I actually saw our campaign on a light-up billboard. Some very excited squealing ensued, and I'll probably remember that moment for the rest of my career. While Loop's reach is limited to the Chicago Metro at the moment, one of the great things about grant-funded work is that Loop belongs to the people. Hopefully, following demonstrated success through the funded campaign, opportunities to bring Feed the Cart statewide will follow!

★ FEATURE STORY ★

In late October, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus unveiled "Feed the Cart," a groundbreaking recycling education initiative that represents the largest coordinated effort to improve recycling rates in Illinois history. Backed by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the campaign spans six counties across the Chicago metropolitan area—Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will—reaching a combined population of more than 8 million residents.

The campaign's ambitious goal is to increase recycling tonnage across the region by 15 percent before 2030. Currently, the Chicago metro area's recycling rate has remained stagnant at 30 percent for the past decade, matching the national average of 32 percent but falling significantly short of the EPA's national target of 50 percent by 2030. In 2024 alone, the region collected nearly 573,000 tons of recyclable materials, yet contamination and public confusion continue to undermine these efforts.

"This large, wraparound effort is key. Everyone is saying the same thing," said Chris Sauve, Deputy Commissioner of Policy and Sustainability with Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation. "It's the first time in a long time we're all tied together." The campaign marks an unprecedented collaboration among 275 local governments, including the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County, and county recycling programs across DuPage, Kane, McHenry, and Will counties.

At the heart of "Feed the Cart" is Loop, a friendly blue recycling cart mascot with big eyes and an even bigger appetite for recyclables. Loop's simple message resonates across all demographics: feed your cart cardboard boxes, metal cans, paper envelopes, and plastic jugs and bottles. The campaign's educational tactics include social media outreach, video and print advertising, billboards, public relations efforts, and grassroots community engagement. Residents can visit FeedTheCart.org to learn what items are recyclable in their specific location using the integrated Recycle Coach tool.

The campaign also addresses persistent myths and contamination issues that have plagued recycling efforts. "There's this idea that if you just put it in there because you think it's recyclable, the recycling facility will clean it out," explained Christina Seibert, Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of North Cook County. "In reality, contaminants like extension cords, garden hoses, and plastic bags can damage sorting equipment and devalue recyclable materials." The campaign emphasizes that recyclables are truly being processed and sold as commodities in the Midwest, countering widespread misconceptions that everything ends up in landfills.

The campaign launch generated significant media attention, with earned media associated with the announcement generating an estimated 9.5 million impressions in the Chicago area market. Loop has quickly become a social media sensation, with the 60-second spot on Loop's YouTube channel already garnering 328,000 views. The channel also features 15-second and 30-second spots being used as paid social media ads. Residents are encouraged to follow and "like" the campaign's Facebook page to stay updated on recycling tips and campaign news.

Beyond environmental benefits, the campaign highlights recycling's economic impact. "By increasing our recycling rate, we not only conserve natural resources but also generate significant economic benefits, supporting thousands of jobs and injecting billions of dollars into our economy," said Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, Chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus's Environment and Energy Committee. The three-year campaign will measure its impact through 2027, with results reported upon completion.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is accepting public comments on battery stewardship plans submitted under the Illinois Portable and Medium-Format Battery Stewardship Act. Two plans are currently available for review: the Call2Recycle Battery Product Stewardship Plan and the Harbor Freight Tools Battery Stewardship Plan.

As a reminder, the Battery Stewardship Act, signed into law in August 2024, establishes a statewide program requiring battery producers to fund and manage the collection, transportation, and recycling of covered batteries. This includes portable primary and rechargeable batteries, as well as medium-format batteries weighing 4.4 to 25 pounds. The stewardship program takes effect on January 1, 2026, with disposal restrictions beginning January 1, 2028. Call2Recycle is expected to announce their process for signing up collection sites this month, pending IEPA approval of their plan.

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The architectural paint stewardship program for Illinois officially begins on December 1, 2025. Managed by PaintCare, the program provides convenient drop-off locations for leftover paint throughout the state. On December 1, PaintCare's interactive map of participating drop-off locations will go live, making it easy for Illinois residents to find their nearest paint recycling site. Visit paintcare.org to learn more about what products are accepted and how the program works.

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